Jeff Gaspin, a former chairman of NBC Universal Television, has been appointed president of Primary Wave Entertainment after the company acquired Gaspin Media.
Gaspin will also serve as a member of the company’s management board, David Guillod and Lawrence Mestel, founders and co-CEOs of Primary Wave, announced Friday. Gaspin’s role is effective immediately and will be based out of the Los Angeles office.
Gaspin Media is a production and consulting company formed in 2012. Credits include TV series’ “To Tell the Truth” (ABC) and “First Impressions with Dana Carvey” (USA). Gaspin will continue to serve as the executive producer on those titles.
As president of Primary Wave, Gaspin will have input on all business operations and will lead the expansion of original content across TV and digital platforms. He will oversee CeeLo Green‘s “The Good Life” (TBS), “Being Mary Jane” (BET) starring Gabrielle Union,” and “The 100.” Gaspin will also find further distribution opportunities for content across broadcast, and mobile platforms.
“Primary Wave is a talent-centered entertainment company where actors, artists, directors, writers and creative minds can do their best work. Jeff is a skilled, innovative leader who will make a powerful impact on our business,” said Mestel and Guillod in a statement. “As we continue to build momentum across our television and digital portfolios, it has become more important than ever to establish an effective operating structure for Primary Wave. We will continue to grow our executive ranks with key new hires as we pursue an ambitious expansion of our original content slate.”
Primary Wave has produced the feature film “The Coldest City,” starring Charlize Theron, as well as “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck.”
During his tenure at NBC Universal Television, Gaspin was responsible for two broadcast networks — NBC Entertainment and Telemundo, as well as the group of cable networks including USA Network, SyFy, Bravo and Oxygen. His successes also include the acquisition of “The Voice” and developing “Grimm,” while leading the company’s early deals with Netflix.
As the head of alternative programming at NBC, Gaspin developed the hit shows “The Apprentice,” “The Biggest Loser” and “Deal or No Deal.” In 2014, he launched TAPP, a subscription platform where super fans could connect with their role models.